Supporting mechanism for slidable gate closures used on bottom-pour vessels

ABSTRACT

A supporting mechanism for a slidable gate used as a closure for the nozzle of a bottom-pour vessel, such as a ladle or tundish. The mechanism includes a pair of flexible tubes of oval cross section mounted along opposite sides of the nozzle, and pillowshaped blocks placed on the tubes between the tubes and gate. Internal pressure is applied to the tubes to bulge them and thus force the gate against the bottom of the vessel. The tubes yield to permit nonuniform thermal expansion and contraction.

United States ate John A. Grosko West Mifflin Borough;

James T. Shapland, Wilkins Township, Allegheny County, both of, Pa.860,693

Sept. 24, 1969 Sept. 14, 1971 United States Steel Corporation InventorsAppl. No. Filed Patented Assignee SUPPORTING MECHANISM FOR SLIDABLE GATECLOSURES USED ON BOTTOM-POUR VESSELS 3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl ZZZ/561,

266/38 Int. Cl B65d 47/14 Field ofSearch 222/561,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,224,382 12/1965 Floehr222/512 3,352,465 11/1967 Shapland.. 222/561 3,480,186 11/1969 Grosko222/512 Primary Examiner-Robert B. Reeves Assistant Examiner-T. E.Kocovsky Attorney-Walter P. Wood ABSTRACT: A supporting mechanism for aslidable gate used as a closure for the nozzle of a bottom-pour vessel,such as a ladle or tundish. The mechanism includes a pair of flexibletubes of oval cross section mounted along opposite sides of the nozzle,and pillow-shaped blocks placed on the tubes between the tubes and gate.Internal pressure is applied to the tubes to bulge them and thus forcethe gate against the bottom of the vessel. The tubes yield to permitnonuniform thermal expansion and contraction.

PATENTEU sEP1 412m 3.604.603

rill/111 mvmrons JOHN A. seas/r0 a JAMES r. SHAPLA/VD AttorneySUPPORTING MECHANISM FOR SLlDABLE GATE CLOSURES USED ON BOTTOM-POURVESSELS This invention relates to an improved supporting mechanism for aslidable gate used as a closure on a bottompour vessel.

Although our invention is not thus limited, our gate-supportingmechanism is particularly useful as applied to vessels for pouringmolten metal, for example a ladle or tundish. Such vessels have anoutlet in the bottom wall through which molten metal is poured into areceiving vessel. It is known to equip the pouring vessel with aslidable gate mounted on the underside of the bottom wall forcontrolling flow of metal through the outlet, one example of which isshown in Shapland US. Pat. No. 3,352,465. The vessel carries a hydraulicoperating mechanism for positioning the gate. One practice is to use areciprocable gate which has both a blank area and a nozzle, as shown inFIGS. 1 to 3 of the patent. The gate is slidable back and forth betweenpositions in which the blank area underlies the outlet to close it, orthe nozzle is aligned with the outlet to permit pouring. Another andusually preferred practice is to use gates of the slide-through" type,wherein each gate is either a blank or provides a nozzle, as shown inFIGS. 4 and 5 of the patent. As the operating mechanism shoves each gateinto alignment with the outlet, the new gate shoves the preceding gateon past and eventually off the vessel.

The supporting mechanism for the gate must press the gate firmly againstthe vessel bottom to prevent leakage, yet it must allow for thermalexpansion and contraction of the gate. The gate does not always expandor contract uniformly, but the dimensions of some portions may changemore than others. Previous supporting mechanisms have included leversmounted on the bottom of the vessel and engaging the side edges of thegate, and springs or hydraulic means actuating the levers, as shown forexample in the aforementioned patent. While these arrangements operatesatisfactorily, they require a large number of moving parts and theyoccupy an undesirably large area on the bottom of the vessel.

An object of our invention is to provide a gate-supporting mechanismwhich is simpler mechanically and more compact than mechanisms usedheretofore, yet allows for uneven dimensional changes in the gate.

A more specific object is to provide a gate-supporting mechanism whichembodies inflatable tubes for pressing the gate against a vessel bottomand series of heat-resistant blocks interposed between the tubes andgate.

in the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section on line l-I of FIG. 2 of aportion of a bottom-pour vessel which has a gate and a supportingmechanism for the gate constructed in accordance with our invention; and

FIG. 2 is a vertical section on line IlII of FIG. 1.

The drawing shows a portion of a bottom-pour vessel which has a metalshell 12 and a refractory lining 13. The bottom wall of vessel 10 has anoutlet opening within which a nozzle 14 is mounted. An orifice plate 15is fixed to the vessel bottom beneath the nozzle. The vessel is equippedwith a slidable gate closure, which is illustrated as of theslide-through type, although it could be of the reciprocable type. Theoperating mechanism for the closure is supported on a pair of opposedangles irons 16 which are fixed to the bottom of the vessel and extendbeyond the confines thereof. The confronting faces of the angle ironscarry respective rails 17 which have horizontal flanges adapted toreceive and support gates 18 in readiness to be shoved into alignmentwith nozzle 14.

The angle irons also carry a chute 19 for loading the gates onto therails, and a hydraulic cylinder 20 which has a reciprocable ram 21 forshoving gates along the rails.

Rails 17 terminate short of the orifice plate 15. The confronting facesof the angle irons l6 carry respective upward open troughs 25 beneathopposite side edges of the orifice plate 15. We place inflatableflexible tubes 26, preferably of thin-wall stainless steel, in thebottoms of the respective troughs. The tubes are of oval shape in crosssection, and we place them with their longest diameters horizontal. Bothends of the tubes flare to a circular cross section and carry caps 27.We connect fluid inlet lines 28 to the caps 27 at one end, and reliefvalves 29 to the caps at the other end. We place series of pillow-shapedblocks 30 of low-friction material, preferably graphite, within troughs25 where they rest on the tubes 26. Stops 31 at opposite ends of thetroughs confine the blocks. The upper faces of the blocks arehorizontally aligned with the horizontal flanges of rails 17, and withsimilar flanges of exit rails 32, which extend from the other ends ofthe troughs. Preferably we mount a heat shield 33 of stainless steel orthe like on the angle irons beneath the troughs.

In operation, we load blank gates and nozzle gates 18 onto rails 17 fromchute 19. We operate cylinder 20 to shove gates along the rails andblocks 30 as needed. We apply internal pressure to tubes 26 with fluidadmitted through the inlet lines 28. Examples of suitable fluids are airand water. The fluid bulges the tubes and thus acts through blocks 30 toforce the gate against the orifice plate 15. The tubes are sufficientlyresilient that they yield as necessary to permit nonuniform thermalexpansion and contraction of the gates. If desired, we can maintain asteady flow of fluid through the tubes to cool the parts.

The rails, cylinder, etc. which we have illustrated are only one exampleof suitable means for operating the gates. Our supporting mechanism canbe used with many different structures for moving the gates intoposition.

We claim:

1. In a combination which includes:

a vessel having a nozzle in its bottom wall;

a slidable gate operable to close said nozzle or to permit pouringtherethrough;

a pair of upward facing troughs fixed to the bottom of said vessel andextending horizontally along opposite sides of said nozzle;

yieldable means mounted within said troughs; and

series of blocks of low-friction material resting on said yieldablemeans and bearing against the underside of said gate;

the improvement which comprises:

said yieldable means being in the form of respective thinwall flexiblemetal tubes of oval cross section positioned in said troughs with theirlongest diameters horizontal;

inlet lines leading to one end of the respective tubes for admittingfluid under pressure to the tubes; and

relief valves in the opposite ends of the tubes for discharging fluidtherefrom;

said tubes bulging under internal pressure of fluid admitted thereto andforcing said gate against the bottom of said vessel.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said tubes flare attheir ends to a circular cross section, and further comprising caps overthe flared ends, said lines and said valves being connected to saidcaps.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said blocks are pillowshaped and formed of graphite.

1. In a combination which includes: a vessel having a nozzle in itsbottom wall; a slidable gate operable to close said nozzle or to permitpouring therethrough; a pair of upward facing troughs fixed to thebottom of said vessel and extending horizontally along opposite sides ofsaid nozzle; yieldable means mounted within said troughs; and series ofblocks of low-friction material resting on said yieldable means andbearing against the underside of said gate; the improvement whichcomprises: said yieldable means being in the form of respectivethin-wall flexible metal tubes of oval cross section positioned in saidtroughs with their longest diameters horizontal; inlet lines leading toone end of the respective tubes for admitting fluid under pressure tothe tubes; and relief valves in the opposite ends of the tubes fordischarging fluid therefrom; said tubes bulging under internal pressureof fluid admitted thereto and forcing said gate against the bottom ofsaid vessel.
 2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said tubesflare at their ends to a circular cross section, and fuRther comprisingcaps over the flared ends, said lines and said valves being connected tosaid caps.
 3. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which said blocksare pillow shaped and formed of graphite.